El Cajon-based Savage Pet Food is recalling boxes of raw chicken food that possibly contain the “highly pathogenic” H5N1, also known as the bird flu virus.
The company on March 15 said it was pulling 66 large chicken boxes (84 ounces each) and 74 small chicken boxes (21 ounces each) with the lot code/best by date of 11152026.
The cat food, which is kept frozen until meal time, was sold at retailers in California, Colorado, New York, Pennsylvania and Washington.
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The company that touts “raw prey-based pet food” said it was first alerted in February, when a cat in Colorado ate Savage Pet Food, got sick, tested positive for bird flu and subsequently recovered.
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Savage Pet said it withdrew the food from retail shelves while samples were tested, according to a statement provided by the Food and Drug Administration. Those tests, Savage Food said, were negative for the bird flu.
A negative test means the virus wasn’t found at the time of testing, but it doesn’t rule out the presence of the virus beforehand, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
Another kitten eating from the same lot of food was sickened in New York. Tests there are ongoing, the company said.
The boxes numbered 11152026 were distributed in November 2024. Each box contains single plastic packets inside with the lot code and best by date stamped on the bottom and on each packet.
A number of pet cats were sickened or died after consuming raw pet food tainted with H5N1.
A cat in San Diego County that ate raw food died of the bird flu in February. At the time, the county health department did not reveal the name of the pet food involved, saying it was waiting for further results from state testing.
In Oregon, two cats in separate households also tested positive for the virus in February after eating a raw cat food made by Wild Coast LLC based in Olympia, Washington. The pet owners opted to euthanize the cats because the illness in each was so severe. The Wild Coast food, sold in Oregon and Washington state, also was recalled.
The CDC said any cats that ate the recalled food should be watched for bird flu symptoms, which include fever, lethargy, low appetite, reddened or inflamed eyes, discharge from the eyes and nose, difficulty breathing, and neurological signs like tremors, stiff body movements, seizure, lack of coordination, or blindness.
Experts at UC Davis say cats are “easily susceptible” to the avian influenza, which can make pets severely ill. Pets should see a veterinarian should symptoms arise as the infection can “often result in death.”
For more information, contact Savage Pet Food by email at info@savagecatfood.com or by calling 619-270-0295.
